


Candy Floss Made Spacecraft

by crapoftheworld



Series: Space Cadet [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BAMF Lance (Voltron), Black Paladin Keith (Voltron), Black Paladin Lance (Voltron), Druids, Eventual Keith/Lance (Voltron), Flashbacks, Hurt/Comfort, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Has Anxiety, Lance (Voltron) Has Issues, Lance (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Lance (Voltron) Has Panic Attacks, Lance (Voltron) Speaks Spanish, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance (Voltron)-centric, Lance Has Nightmares (Voltron), M/M, Original Character(s), Post-Season/Series 06, Red Paladin Keith (Voltron), Red Paladin Lance (Voltron), Slow Burn, google translate is my coauthor, no beta we die like men, obviously, they switch a few times ok
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:09:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25247422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crapoftheworld/pseuds/crapoftheworld
Summary: THIS STORY IS CURRENTLY ON HIATUS“How could any of this possibly make sense? You can’t just--”“I don’t give a fuck what you think! I don’t even know you! But rest assured, I’m completely fine,” he yelled, slamming his hands on the table. “Shiro isn’t, though, so let’s find him!”Lance felt like he could explode, like he was a bomb and his fuse was nearly burned through. There were so many problems that they needed to focus on. Lotor had seen him in the alternate reality. He’d known what to say to fuck with him. Keith had kissed him and left. Shiro was being… mind-controlled or something. Lance had piloted the fucking Black Lion and now Red was gone, too.And his friends were all staring at him like he was a monster.***Lance made it back to his own reality. He was home. Unfortunately, things don't go back to normal like he had hoped and he struggles to connect with team Voltron. Worse still, he finds himself at the center of a mysterious Galra conspiracy.
Relationships: Keith & Lance & Red Lion (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron), Lance & Voltron Paladins
Series: Space Cadet [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1734193
Comments: 125
Kudos: 395





	1. Starting Slow

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go again, boys! Here’s the background you need: Obviously, you should probably go and read part 1 of this series if you’re new here or else you’ll have no clue what the fuck is happening :) Canonically speaking, this chapter is starting after Pidge fixes the virus in “The Black Paladins” (but the virus didn't happen in this universe). Instead of being a bitch, Lotor decides to team up with Haggar, therefore allowing me, the author, to completely rewrite the rest of canon LMAO. Y'all ready for this angst fest??? If that’s a yes, then buckle the hell up! 
> 
> Once again, the title for this fic is from "Space Cadet" by beabadoobee.

“He’s not supposed to be dreaming in there, right?”

“No, he’s supposed to be in cryosleep -- dream free! I don’t know why it's not working...”

“Maybe this pod’s just broken. Look at the data readout, it’s all corrupted.”

“No, no, the pods are all in tip-top condition! I take very good care of the pods.”

“Uh, guys, is he-- is he waking up?”

“Holy shit--”

The cold that had been gripping Lance’s body finally receded and he stumbled over the edge of something, someone’s arms catching him before he plummeted to the ground. If he had more energy, he would’ve fought whoever it was off, but as it was, he allowed himself to be supported by the unknown alien.

It was too bright. Lance's eyes instinctively squeezed shut as he tried to remember where he was, what was happening.

“Lance? Buddy, you with us?”

_Hunk._ That was Hunk. But Hunk was dead.

Lance shoved weakly at the arms that were wrapped firmly around him, feeling disoriented and vulnerable. He wanted to get away, but even as he struggled in Hunk's arms everything came trickling back to him.

He’d made it home.

He remembered the battle, the blood loss... he must've been put in an Altean pod. He peeled his eyes open and saw that Pidge, Allura, and Coran were all surrounding him, worried expressions on their faces.

Keith was gone. Keith had left. _Keith had left him._ Lance remembered that much.

Further away, Krolia and the strange Altean Keith had brought with him were also staring, though they looked less concerned than Coran and the paladins. And Keith’s wolf was there, which reminded Lance of something else, something important.

“Bo?” he rasped out, too tired to form a complete sentence.

“Bo? What’s Bo?”

“I think it’s the, uh, _other_ wolf.”

“Oh. Lance, buddy, don’t you think you should get some rest, maybe have a little something to eat? You’re not… looking too hot.”

Lance suddenly realized he was missing something else. His hands shot up from where they'd been braced against Hunk's chest, going to his cheek where he knew an ugly scar was. Instead of the marred flesh that Lance had expected to feel, he felt fabric bandages wrapped around his head. Hopefully, it had been Coran to do that. Maybe no one else had seen.

He made eye contact with the Altean advisor, searching for something in his eyes. He saw sorrow there. He saw _pity._ He supposed it was better than the disgust or resentment he was expecting. Maybe he didn’t know.

He was still in the Mana'Lo-an military garb he'd arrived in, which meant whatever injuries he’d sustained must have been really bad -- not enough time to change him into the standard white Altean suit. He could work with this, though. It meant no one had seen the evidence of all of the horrible things Lance had done written across his skin.

Lance decided that he could feel his limbs well enough, so with Hunk’s support, he started in the direction of the infirmary where Bo probably still was. He needed to see her, to see someone that he knew. He hadn’t seen these people in two years. He didn’t know if he trusted them yet.

If his experience with Keith was anything to go by, he really shouldn’t trust team Voltron.

Lance was well aware that his problems weren’t the most pressing issue. Keith had gone after Shiro when he went rogue. Lotor was gone, and so were the Sincline ships, and for some reason, Allura hadn’t immediately opened up wormholes for the lions to follow when they got back to the Castle. Things weren’t looking good.

Despite all of this, Lance appreciated that no one was trying to ask him any questions. The group just trailed behind them as Hunk supported most of his weight, nearly dragging him down to the infirmary.

Lance released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding when he saw Bo, lounging on the same medical table he'd left her on before going back into the fray. Lance wondered how long he'd been in the pod if Bo was still asleep like this. Surely if she'd woken up, she would've been waiting to see him outside of the pod.

But maybe not. With the kind of injuries Lance had going in, it could've taken anywhere from a few hours to a week.

Lance glanced back to see a gaggle of familiar, yet foreign faces staring back at him. They looked so normal, like everything that was happening was a usual occurrence. And for them, it was. Lance had done his fair share of pod visits, probably more than everyone else if he was being honest.

"I think I'll sleep in here. With Bo," he said eventually, and Allura nodded sagely, ushering everyone else out of the infirmary.

Lance shuffled over to the cold metal table, rolling onto it and settling down next to Bo's sleeping body. He'd slept in worse places

If he really focused, he could make out the faint voices of five people he barely knew discussing things a little way down the hall. They were talking about him, he knew, something about the readings from the pod. Dark energy and more muscle mass, new injuries that hadn’t been there when he had first stepped into the Red Lion in this reality.

But Lance didn’t feel like focusing, so he burrowed his face into Bo’s red fur.

It smelled like home, which was not synonymous with _good,_ necessarily. Bo smelled like a dirty dog who hadn’t had a proper shower in months. There was also the faint metallic scent of dried blood, but Lance barely noticed it since he had been smelling it almost every day for the past few months. The scents were familiar though, and the fact that Bo’s cuts seemed mostly healed already helped Lance relax.

He draped himself over the sleeping wolf and soon followed her lead, drifting off and once again putting aside all thoughts and uncertainties. He could deal with all of that stuff later, after they found Shiro and Lotor.

After Lance rested for a bit.

***

“ _Fuck,_ get off!”

Lance bolted upright, ignoring the growling in his stomach and his pulsing headache. That had been Pidge’s voice. He was laying on a cold metal medical table all alone. Bo was no longer asleep in his arms. Instinctively, he reached for his bayards but found that they were not on his person, nor were they close enough to summon.

“Lance, _help me!_ ”

Lance turned to the call, eyes landing on Bo with her fangs bared, pinning a frightened Pidge to the floor. He recognized the look in his wolf’s eyes. Pidge was a human. Bo was going to kill her.

_“¡Sin Rabo, no la ataques!”_

The response was immediate. Bo teleported away from Pidge, ending up right by Lance’s side. He’d almost forgotten about the months he and Bo had spent _fighting_ humans, killing them on sight during the Twelve Deca-Phoebs War. Here, humans were supposedly his allies.

Still, in light of recent events, Lance wasn’t entirely convinced.

_“Hazlo sólo si yo te lo digo, ¿okay?”_

Bo butted her head against Lance’s knee, an acknowledgment of his request. He ran his fingers lovingly through her thick red fur, getting lost in the familiarity before he remembered that they weren’t alone. He looked up to see Pidge clutching her bayard, standing awkwardly in the corner and looking somewhat disheveled.

“Uh… sorry about that. She won’t do that again,” he mumbled, eyes drifting away from Pidge’s face and down to her boots.

“Hey, it’s alright. What's a teleporting space-wolf attack between friends?” she said, the joke falling flat as she finally moved a bit closer to the medical table that Lance was sitting up on. “You were in the pod for a shorter time than usual considering the injuries you sustained. It kind of rejected you?” she added, like it was a question.

Lance suspected it had something to do with the double dose of dark magic flowing through his veins. Some was even flowing through Bo’s veins now, which Lance had hoped to avoid. At least he was home, though. In the right reality. It still didn’t feel quite right to Lance. Maybe he’d adjust with some time.

“--ance!”

He finally registered the small hand waving back and forth in front of his face. And that Pidge had said his name at least five times now. She was staring at him. Staring at his face, and although the bandage was still in place it felt like she was looking right at his scar. He swore he could see the disgust on her face, even if it was hidden under a mask of neutrality.

“Sorry, I’m just a bit hungry, I guess.”

“Oh yeah, that makes sense. Healing in the pod and all that. Probably why you were a bit out of it at first, too. Come on, everyone’s waiting for you in the dining hall.”

Lance’s heart sunk. _Everyone._ He didn’t really want to face any of them. He didn’t feel like he had the energy. On the other hand, these were the people he had been fighting to get back to for two years. He felt like such an idiot. _They’re my family. They care about me. Get it together._

As Lance stood to follow Pidge out of the infirmary, Bo trailing slightly behind, his mind raced with everything he’d have to explain, everything he owed these people.

“You probably don’t know this ‘cause you passed out but the Castle Ship got kind of damaged during the fight. Teludav’s pretty much busted. And the lions can’t recharge at all, which is weird…”

That made sense. The Sinclines were powerful. It also explained why they weren’t fighting alongside Keith right now.

“Yeah, you were only in the pod for like, a couple of hours? Those cuts on your back were pretty deep, though, but I’m sure you can just use some healing gel and be as good as new. And the Black Lion? Congratulations, dude, I was beginning to suspect--”

“Pidge,” Lance said, cutting off the Green Paladin’s rambling.

Lance’s head was pounding, and while he remembered that a few years ago he had enjoyed listening to Pidge’s endless stream of theories and hypotheses, he didn’t have the energy for it right now. Ever since he’d stepped foot on the Castle Ship again, he’d been feeling terribly drained.

“Right. Sorry. I just, what I wanted to say was-- you know I always hate it when someone has to go in a pod. I’m glad you’re okay,” she said, a genuine smile on her face as she stopped and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Lance was momentarily taken aback. It'd been so long since he'd touched someone else without the looming threat of violence or death. Mana'Lo-ans hadn't really done hugs. Neither had Molly or Klammer. Magie might've. He'd never gotten the chance to see.

“Thanks, Pidge,” Lance murmured, reaching out to ruffle her hair like old times.

She ducked away from him, laughing as she skipped ahead of him into the dining hall. She seemed happy, care-free. She didn’t have the weight of two realities burdening her. _Maybe I shouldn’t tell them._

It was an entirely different reality. Nothing that had happened there mattered _here._ And telling them… it would be distracting. There were more important things to think about now. Lance could save his story for another time, or maybe never.

As Lance walked into the room after Pidge, he could sense movement behind him and knew that Bo’s hackles were raised at the sight of so many humanoids. Two humans and three Alteans, to be exact. And an extra Galra. However, Bo respected Lance’s command and didn’t immediately attack.

The quiet conversations all came to a halt. Everyone looked exactly the same as he remembered them. Hunk with his trusty headband, looking characteristically worried. Allura, a grim look on her face and hands steepled, all business. Coran, bright orange facial hair immaculately styled, wearing his royal advisor uniform proudly. And Pidge, who had taken a seat next to Hunk, her glasses slightly askew and some fresh claw marks courtesy of Bo on her paladin armor.

Before Lance could say anything, he heard the telltale sound of Bo teleporting. He was briefly afraid that she was going to attack someone else, but then he saw where she had ended up. Right in front of the other cosmic wolf, the one Keith had brought with him. Lance grinned as they sniffed each other’s butts, eventually settling down curled around each other like two pieces of a puzzle.

“ _Lance,_ ” Allura said severely, redirecting Lance’s attention back to the table. “There are many things we need to discuss.”

_Here it comes._

Lance slid into the only empty seat at the table, where he used to sit two years ago. Two years ago, Keith would’ve been at his side. Now, the random Altean was occupying his seat. Krolia was leaning on a wall toward the back of the room, right next to the cuddling wolves.

He knew they were all staring at him. He regretted not stopping to grab his mask before coming here -- the bandages didn't feel like enough. He wondered if they could tell that he was a bad person just by looking at him.

“So… where did the new threads come from? You never told me,” Hunk said, breaking through the tense silence that had settled over the dining hall.

Lance hesitated for a moment. But only a moment. He’d already made up his mind.

“I found them in Red’s cargo hold. Must’ve been Keith’s.”

It was a solid enough lie, and it wasn’t like Keith was around to dispute his claim.

He dug into the plate of food goo that was waiting for him, reveling in the memories that the bland tasting goo brought to the forefront of his mind, things he hadn’t thought about in years. The food fight when they had first arrived, that time the Castle had malfunctioned and tried to kill everyone, daily meals and midnight snacks. This was his home.

“That blast from the druid cannon has messed with your chemical readout, my boy,” Coran said, and Lance was ready for everything to come crashing down right then and there. It didn’t. “It’s probably nothing to worry about, and you seem perfectly fine, but I want to run a few more tests if you’re willing.”

“Sure, Coran.”

Lance hoped the conversation would move on from him soon. They had important things to talk about, like Shiro and Keith. Maybe if he tried to crack a joke things would go back to normal.

“Alright, if I’m the one that has to ask, then so be it,” Pidge said, cutting in like she’d been waiting to for a while. “Where the hell did you get a cosmic space wolf? Keith found his in the _quantum abyss!”_

At least he could be grateful that Pidge didn’t bring up the fact that Bo had fucking _attacked_ her.

“Uh… she just teleported onto my ship during the battle,” Lance answered, trying his best to make it sound like a statement rather than a question.

Bo’s ears perked up from where she was curled around the blue wolf. She gave him a look, like she knew he was full of shit.

“An odd coincidence,” Krolia murmured, and Lance was grateful that she didn’t say anything else on the matter.

“Now that that’s all settled, why don’t we--”

“Is it?” Lance turned to see that it had been the Altean to speak up. He still didn’t know her name. “ _Is_ it settled? Your technology malfunctioned, the Red Paladin came back with a space wolf that he’s already named and a new change of clothes, not to mention we haven’t even seen his face yet, and we’re just going to let all of it go?”

Lance was trying his best to keep the boiling sea of rage at bay, but he knew the tide was coming in. He was getting frustrated.

“How could any of this possibly make sense? You can’t just--”

“I don’t give a fuck what you think! I don’t even know you! But _rest assured,_ I’m completely _fine,_ ” he yelled, slamming his hands on the table. “Shiro isn’t, though, so let’s find him!”

Lance felt like he could explode, like he was a bomb and his fuse was nearly burned through. There were so many problems that they needed to focus on. Lotor had seen him in the alternate reality. He’d known what to say to fuck with him. Keith had kissed him and left. Shiro was being… mind-controlled or something. Lance had piloted the fucking _Black Lion_ and now Red was gone, too.

And his friends were all staring at him like he was a monster.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, looking into his lap.

_Guess that’s not something the old Lance would’ve done._

“I’m sure we’re all just a bit tired. But Lance does have a point,” Allura conceded, frowning all the while.

Lance just uncrossed his arms, pushing away from the table and preparing to leave. He wanted to go get his bayards and a change of clothes, both of which he suspected were in his room.

“I’m going to get cleaned up. We can talk strategy after.”

Nobody tried to stop him, but he did hear light footsteps trailing after him. Light as in those of someone trained for stealth, which made the most likely candidate Keith’s mother, the Blade.

Lance was surprised he still knew the route back to his room, but his body carried him along, muscle memory doing most of the work. As he passed the closed door to Keith’s room, Krolia finally said something, reaching out to stop Lance with a hand on his shoulder.

“Red Paladin, I wanted to thank you.”

Lance turned around, confused by the seemingly random turn of events.

“What for?”

“My son. Shiro means a lot to him, and you allowed him to pilot your lion to get to him. Thank you.”

“...Right.” Lance didn’t want to think about Keith. He couldn’t understand the emotions swirling around in his gut whenever he thought about his former friend. Old feelings, boyish competitiveness and innocent happiness. Resentment. Regret. Hatred. There were too many things there to untangle on his own. “It really wasn’t a big deal. I’ll see you around, Krolia.”

“Wait. I know the legends about cosmic wolves,” Krolia said, catching Lance’s wrist and meeting his eyes. He was hoping that the ground would open and swallow him whole. “I know that you left this reality, Paladin.”

“I don’t know what you’re--”

“Your secret’s safe with me, though I don’t know why you’ve chosen to keep the truth from your teammates,” she interrupted, pointedly ignoring his weak denial. “If you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”

It was a supremely awkward offer, but the sentiment was there.

“Thanks,” he murmured eventually, turning his back to her as he tried to remember the keycode for his door.

Lance heard the Galra’s footsteps echoing back down the hall, listening as they faded into the distance.

Then he took a deep breath and stepped into his old room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to bookdragon9113 for being a supportive homie! <3
> 
> **Edit: improved Spanish thanks to TheFlyingJerk!**


	2. Killing Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance readjusts to Castle life while awaiting Keith's return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo it turns out writing long fics is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Anyway, amid the chaos of learning to drive, getting ready for school, and participating in a bunch of random fandom events, I have created a new chapter! Queue the applause!
> 
> Not a _whole_ lotta angst, but we're getting there, fellas :) This is mostly filler and scene setting (but I always find filler chapters the most difficult to write). It's the calm before the storm. 'Cause shit's about to go d-d-d-down.

When Lance emerged from his room the next morning, his old outfit consisting of blue jeans and a baseball tee on, he wasn’t surprised to see Hunk waiting for him in the hall. They used to walk down to breakfast together all the time.

“Dude, why’re you still wearing that mask?” Hunk asked, poking at it in curiosity.

Lance batted his hand away, a burst of forced laughter coming out of his dry throat.

“My face is still healing a bit. Coran said it would help.”

He’d rehearsed that lie late into the night, already resolving to pull the Altean advisor aside at some point and talk to him about it. He figured that since Coran had already seen his face, he might as well make the most of the situation.

“You sure took a beating the other day, buddy,” Hunk replied as they walked side by side down the empty Castle halls.

Lance’s alarm was still set to six in the morning, Castle time. He and Hunk were usually the first people up -- Lance liked to keep Hunk company in the kitchen while he fixed stuff up.

Bo hadn’t bothered to move from her spot at the foot of the bed, so Lance had just left her there. She’d wake up a few hours later, get bored, and come find him.

As he and Hunk arrived at the kitchen, he heard faint voices floating out from the open doors. It looked like Krolia and Romelle were early risers, as well.

“Good morning, early birds! You elite few will be rewarded with Hunk’s famous space goo breakfast!”

Krolia chuckled, and Romelle stood from her seat, going to join Hunk behind the counter. It seemed like they’d taken a liking to each other. Lance settled in his own seat at the dining table, diagonally across from Krolia.

“Sleep well, Paladin?”

Lance’s eyes narrowed as his gaze fell on Keith’s mother. He’d had another nightmare last night, nothing out of the ordinary. Just… some light murder. Of his alternate-reality self.

He wondered if she could tell he’d slept fitfully or if she was just being polite.

“Like a baby.”

Hunk came over from the kitchen, setting plates full of orange goop in front of them as Coran waltzed into the room, looking extremely chipper.

“Ah, good morning, paladins. Krolia. Romelle,” he said, nodding at everyone in turn.

He helped himself to a plate of food goo and settled at the head of the table, whipping out a tablet and scrolling through what must’ve been some galactic newspaper. Lance was taken aback by the domesticity, the complete calm.

Two of the members of the Castle Ship were still asleep, two were missing in action, and Lance hadn’t been back for two years, yet here they were, relaxing in the dining hall like nothing had ever happened. And as difficult as returning to this, to the war with the Galra was, Lance found that he’d missed having a family.

He ate quickly, hoping to get some solo training in before the inevitable group exercises, but then the Castle Ship was beeping and Coran was shooting to his feet, forgetting about his tablet.

“An incoming transmission!”

Everyone followed the Altean to the bridge, which still had various scorch marks from the fighting that had taken place there just over twenty-four hours ago. Pidge and Allura showed up too, rubbing sleep from their eyes. _The whole gang’s here._

Coran accepted the transmission, and Keith's face blinked to life on the large monitor in the bridge. He had a new scar on his cheek and his eyes were hardened, like there was an anger burning there.

“I’ve got Shiro. I’m coming home.”

“What about Lotor?” Allura asked, perking up at the mention of Shiro.

“I don’t know. As far as I can tell, he hasn’t left Haggar’s ship. I think they’re working together.”

“Is Shiro… alright?” Pidge said, picking up on the fact that their fearless leader was not in fact part of the video call.

“He’s unconscious. But he’s alive. I think he’ll need a pod.”

“I’ll get right on that,” Coran said, already leaving the bridge to prepare a cryopod.

“Just get back safe,” Krolia murmured, and all Lance could do was stare as Keith nodded and the transmission ended with a _click._

Lotor and Haggar were working together. It wasn’t a surprising revelation, but it was one that had many implications. Specifically pertaining to Lance’s little alternate-reality adventure.

Keith’s face was replaced with a map of the Castle Ship’s coordinates and the surrounding sectors. He could see the blinking dot that represented Red’s location slowly drawing nearer. Lance estimated they had maybe a couple of vargas until Keith returned. It would’ve taken a lot longer in Black.

Lance desperately hoped he’d still be Red’s pilot, and after all they'd been through together, he couldn’t bare the thought of piloting any other lion. Even Blue. He hadn’t been down to the hangars since he’d first gotten in Black -- the return to the Castle after he’d passed out from blood loss was an uninterpretable blur. The thought of ever piloting the Black Lion again had his stomach doing angry flips.

Everyone else was already dispersing, going back to finish breakfast, mess with random tech, or whatever it was they liked to do in the morning. But Lance had no time to waste. If Keith was bringing Shiro back and Lotor and Haggar had teamed-up, Lance couldn’t afford a repeat of his last encounter with the half-Galra prince. He needed to be at the top of his game, and that meant training.

Lance had gotten plenty of experience over the past few years. Pulling jobs on _Carmen IV_ had made him a good shot -- most times he couldn’t afford to miss. On _Mana’Lo,_ he’d trained with Alpha Squadron, ran multiple operations, and become a decorated soldier before moving on to lead the Air Force. He’d seen his fair share of combat. Of blood. _Of death._

So it wasn’t like he’d been slacking, there had never been any time for him to metaphorically slip. He _knew_ he was good, even if everyone in this reality had yet to realize it.

Lance stopped by his room on the way to the training deck, dawning his paladin armor and finding that Keith's wolf had wandered (or more likely teleported) into his room at some point and was now curled up on the bed with Bo. He sighed, patting both of their backs before heading back out into the hall, enjoying the nostalgic silence as he made his way to the deck.

He stepped into the room and immediately had flashbacks of laughing with his friends, fighting back to back, sweat dripping from his brow. Good memories, for once. He was always happy in this room, if not occasionally frustrated by his own incompetence.

Lance glanced over the pre-loaded settings for the training simulation. Two years ago, he and his friends had struggled on settings fit for an Altean child, at least according to Allura. Lance wondered exactly how much he’d improved since then. He figured he’d go for it and see.

With no clue exactly how the settings on the Altean Gladiator bots worked, Lance just cranked it up from Level Four, where it was set for normal training, to Level Ten. _Let’s try this._

The screen blinked red when he input the command, and then the lights on the training stage dimmed as three panels from the wall across from him slid into the ground. Three Gladiators stepped out.

Lance assumed his typical fighting stance, summoning a single red bayard and forming his standard blaster.

The holodeck wasn’t really ideal for this type of combat, specifically a one-versus-three match. The Altean bots fanned out, easily surrounding Lance. He tried corralling them back together with a few well-placed shots from his bayard, but the robots were fast, dodging the lasers and remaining in their positions.

There was a pregnant moment of silence, of calculation, and then all three were charging. Lance ducked a spear, diving over a sword and rolling to his feet behind the right-most Gladiator, holding the barrel of his gun up to the nape of its neck and firing.

The body of the Gladiator powered down, lifeless, and Lance shoved it at the other two bots in front of him, backing up to regroup. His bayard morphed into a sword without much thought.

The paladin armor wasn’t as flexible as his silver suit or as practical as his Mana’Lo-an military uniform -- the hard, artificial material felt alien wrapped around his body. It somewhat inhibited his movements, making him feel trapped. Plus, he’d adapted to taking a hit and using it to his advantage, allowing enemies to wound him so they’d let their guard down and give him an opening. The only immediate benefit of the armor also happened to be unnecessary.

Lance ignored all of the memories and broken promises and dead bodies that were assaulting his mind, squaring his shoulders as he and the Gladiators circled each other once again, the odds slightly more even now.

And then Lance lunged forward, pretending to go for the head but ducking down for a leg sweep at the last second, sending one of the bots tumbling to the ground while the other chucked a spear at him.

He barely rolled in time, the spearhead grazing the armor protecting his calf, and then he was close enough to roll on top of the Gladiator on the ground and bring his sword down through its head.

It twitched beneath him, shutting off, and then Lance was getting the air knocked out of him as something barreled into his back. The third Gladiator.

Lance struggled. He was pinned to the ground and the bot was shoving his face into the white floor of the Castle Ship, and he was thinking about the Ring and Krieg and the war and Magie, all things that he was _definitely_ not supposed to be thinking about, and his eyes stung from sweat.

Lance roared, summoning his bayard from where it had been in the other Gladiator’s head, across the room, but his arms were pinned and the robot was powerful. He could summon his second bayard, get the upper hand. But he didn’t want to have to explain that if someone decided to watch the recordings of his training session.

He couldn’t help thinking that he’d gotten distracted, that if he was on _Carmen IV_ or _Mana’Lo_ right now, he would be dead.

His gut wrenched painfully, but he knew he’d fucked up. He’d been bested by a fucking robot.

“End simulation.”

The bot above him went slack, and Lance shoved it away angrily, standing on shaky legs and reaching up to adjust his mask. He was dead. _He should be dead._

Lance kicked the limp body of the Gladiator he’d managed to shoot with his blaster, sending it clanking into the wall as he grumbled to himself.

“Those moves weren’t half bad. I didn’t know you’d been training,” Allura said, and Lance spun to face her.

She must’ve been watching him from the observation deck.

“Yup. _Lots of training,_ ” he answered, scrubbing at the back of his neck as Allura stepped onto the deck, summoning his old blue bayard.

“Are you sure you should be training, though? Isn’t your face still injured?”

“It’s fine,” Lance replied hastily, shooting her what he hoped to be a reassuring smile that he realized a half-second later she couldn’t see.

“In that case… fancy a spar?”

To tell the truth, he really didn’t. Lance couldn’t remember the last time he’d fought someone without the intention of killing them -- it must've been several months ago, when he was still training with Alpha Squadron. He had a sinking feeling that this wouldn't end well, but Allura looked hopeful and he hadn’t seen her in the alternate reality. So maybe it would be okay. Maybe.

“Sure,” he said eventually, and Allura grinned as she walked further into the room, assuming a fighting stance across from him.

Her bayard shifted into her standard whip, a weapon that Lance had admittedly not encountered during his travels. Still, he’d always prided himself on his adaptability.

He waited for Allura to make the first move, and he wasn’t surprised when she went for it. An electric blue whip shot out, nearly hitting him in the ankle as he spun away, bayard shifting into his blaster again. He took a couple of shots at Allura.

She easily evaded the laser fire, finding her footing again and cracking her whip. They danced circles around each other, trading blows and occasionally getting in lucky shots. Lance couldn't say he was having fun, necessarily. But he supposed it was as close to fun as someone like him could get.

Eventually, Allura caught him off guard with a lucky crack of her whip, which Lance tried to sidestep. He hadn’t expected it to curve the way it did, wrapping around his knee and sending him crashing to the ground.

Lance reacted quickly, rolling to the left and scrambling to get to his feet, forming a sword as he came face to face with Allura (or rather, face to mask). Her whip formed a sword of sorts that was shoving hard against Lance’s.

Alteans had superior physical strength, and Lance knew he wouldn’t be able to win this particular blade lock. He felt power thrumming in his veins, felt the energy from his other bayard calling to him, urging him to summon it and _fight._

But Lance ignored it, allowing his arm to suddenly go slack as he dropped to the floor. Allura stumbled forward, surprised at the sudden lack of opposing force, and Lance slid between her legs, popping up behind her and holding his blade to her neck.

He had to remind himself not to immediately slice her throat and end his friend’s life.

Allura panted for a few seconds, probably trying to decide whether she could get out of this, but finally, she tapped his arm and Lance released her, breathing harshly as well.

“I’m surprised, Lance. You really _have_ improved,” she said, looking a mix between proud and slightly annoyed that he’d beaten her.

Lance shrugged, walking over to the towel rack and slinging one over his neck.

“It’s crazy what a bit of motivation can do for you,” he answered, wiping down his neck and popping the jaw off of his mask, gulping down a packet of water. “Think I’m gonna hit the showers before Keith gets back.”

He didn’t hear Allura’s response as he left the training deck, turning in the opposite direction of the showers. He wandered over to the chamber with the cryopods, where Coran was busily typing on the display for one, getting it ready for Shiro.

“Coran.”

The older Altean looked up. He didn’t seem surprised to see Lance.

“Number Three,” he said by way of greeting, turning back to his computer.

_Well, this was awkward._

“Look… I know you saw my face. I just… if someone asks about the mask, will you cover for me?”

“Of course,” Coran replied without a second of hesitation, and Lance’s shoulders slumped in relief. “I just need something from you in return, Paladin.”

Lance kicked at a scuff on the ground, feeling agitated. He knew whatever it was, Coran was probably just trying to help him, but he still didn’t like it.

“What?” he asked gruffly.

“You don’t have to talk to me, but… it’s clear to me that something happened during that last battle, Lance. And no one should have to suffer alone, in silence. So please, talk to someone.”

Lance stared at the Altean, who had looked up from his monitor again to make eye contact with Lance. Coran was frowning. Lance hated everything about this.

“Sure, I’ll talk to someone,” he agreed, though in his mind he hadn’t entirely made up his mind on the matter.

Coran looked like he knew exactly what Lance was thinking, but he nodded nonetheless.

“Excellent! Keith and Shiro will be back in about thirty doboshes.”

Lance grunted in acknowledgment, leaving Coran in peace. He couldn’t decide how he felt, exactly. There was an overwhelming sense of dread, the fear that he wasn’t good enough. He’d been beaten by the Gladiator bot on the holodeck, and Keith was coming back with Shiro. Bo had Keith's cosmic wolf now and Red was with the boy who had kissed him and left.

He sighed, walking back to the showers half-heartedly. He passed by the holodeck on the way and wasn’t surprised to see Allura training against bots wielding Altean broadswords.

He was in the right reality. Shiro was alright and Lance was alive. Everything would work out. _It had to._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, lovelies! (And thanks for sticking with me this whole time y'all are the real ones.)
> 
> Socially distant hugs and kisses for you all! Stay safe, and stay tuned >:)


	3. Hiatus Announcement

Hi everyone.

I know this is not the update you wanted, nor the one you were hoping for. But I've decided to step away from fanfiction for a bit, and that includes this project. I want you all to know that I have appreciated your feedback, your jokes, your encouragement, and your enthusiasm. It's been an amazing journey, and it all started with this series.

Although I'm setting this aside for now, it doesn't mean I'm abandoning _Space Cadet_. It's been my brain child for so long, and as much as it pains me to admit, I don't think I'll ever be able to move on from Lance McClain. I want you to know that I've never written this much in my life, and I've never gotten this much positive feedback in my life, ever. You're all incredible, and if all goes well, I'll be back with more space adventures.

But for now, I bid you all farewell.  
-Rey xx

**Author's Note:**

> Thar she blows! The plot of this guy has been planned out mostly, so get ready for bonding and angst oh my! Love you all xxx
> 
> I've become a lot more active in fandom and am participating in events and writing more fanfiction and stuff. That being said, this fic likely won't update quite as quickly as PTMS did, so keep that in mind. I love you all, I hope you enjoy! (Yes, I chose to publish today because it's our son Lance's birthday.)
> 
> [Find me on Tumblr.](https://crapoftheworldblr.tumblr.com/)


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